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Every Saturday Reston VA holds a free concert where you can bring chairs and picnic. They usually bring some interesting bands and it is almost as good as the airport for people watching!

Tonight was beautiful, no humidity, high 70s so we set out for some outdoor fun. We set up our chairs in a prime location and walked around the shops with an impromptu photo shoot near the fountains.

Tonight’s band was excellent, their name is Beleza and they were a really great blend of Brazilian music (Samba, Jazz, Funk). Lots of people were up dancing and clapping their hands. The band and especially the lead singer had a lot of
energy. They have several CDs out and tour all over, I will definitely be seeing them again!

Lots of people brought takeout from the 900 restaurants in the area and the man next to me was munching on some French fries that smelled heavenly, but don’t worry I stayed strong!

What a great weekend I’m having! Friday evening hit me like a ton of bricks and I fell asleep before 9 pm… but man o man I woke up this morning with a TON of energy!

First thing I had to do was organize the kitchen. It was driving me crazy that every time you opened the pantry a can avalanche would land on your toes. We need more cupboard space so I brought a cabinet from my bedroom down to the kitchen and organized all the ziplock bags/tupperware/pyrex in there. Next I hauled all the junk out of the pantry and wiped down the shelves.

Now in order to make my new lifestyle easier I got rid of all the foods I will never cook with again (anything with high fructose corn syrup/preservative chemicals). I love my brother so much that I let him have first dibs 🙂 When putting the foods I’ve deemed acceptable back I put the healthiest “best” choices on the two shelves that were eye level. Then less healthy below that and the booze on the bottom shelf, because let’s face it, if I’m going to cheat it will be a yummy drink concoction with the liquor I just inventoried.

I worked up quite an appetite so it was time for lunch, a turkey burger with guacamole, bacon, lettuce and tomato YUM! I drank my hibiscus tea with frozen berries as ice and let my brother try it…. He had the same look as my mom… those little sugar addicts.

We all enjoyed the beautiful weather by heading to the pool. The great thing about our neighborhood is that nobody goes there so it is like our own private pool, that we don’t have to clean ;).

Thanks to my pantry clean up I knew I had all the ingredients to make my favorite Green Curry Chicken. It is such an easy dish, just throw everything in and let simmer. You have to control your drooling while the wonderful smell is wafting through the house.

The recipe goes something like this:
– Cooked meat (about a pound), I use chicken because my family is picky but I am dying to do a shrimp version

-Curry paste (Thai Kitchen makes great variations that go well with everything) I start with two spoonfuls and add if needed.

-1 can full fat coconut milk (no guar gum!)

-Veggies! Any kind you have in the fridge/freezer. I happened to have frozen spinach and broccoli as well as fresh carrots and green pepper. The spinach and broccoli really soak up the flavor so I love using them.

Since we are going to the outdoor concert series I had my dinner with a glass of iced coffee. I experimented with 1/3 cold brewed coffee, 2/3 coconut milk and a sprinkle of Dutch cocoa (for a mocha touch). Pretty darn good without all the additives like the Starbucks version.

All I want during a hot and humid DC summer is a refreshing ice cold beverage fizzing with carbonation. No I am not cracking open a can of Modelo’s, I have discovered something that satisfies AND is good for me!

This discovery happened at the most unique tea house in Boulder, CO where I ordered hibiscus iced tea with club soda and lime juice. It was AMAZING! So now I am experimenting with variations…. This version is my favorite so far!

Simply brew hibiscus tea (I use one that contains lime as well). I double the bag amount since I know I will dilute the tea. This is a taste preference, I like full flavor 🙂

I let the tea chill, fill a cup 2/3 tea and 1/3 lime flavored seltzer (I like Trader Joe’s version). When I am feeling extra festive I use lime slices to decorate the rim of the glass!

After the batter was all mixed up and creamy I folded in the frozen blueberries, about 2 cups worth.

I filled my silicon cupcake liners about 2/3 full (batter will rise slighty) and popped them in the oven, timer set for 20 minutes. Some needed 10 more minutes so monitor and make sure they don’t burn!